The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Bribery affair a blot on House image: young MPs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 23, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Bribery affair a blot on House image: young MPs

Special Correspondent

All praise for Government's swift action after panel's report

AMID FRIENDS: Nizamabad MP Madhu Yaskhi flanked by Sandeep Dixit, son of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit (right), and Deepender Singh Hooda, son of the Haryana Chief Minister, in Hyderabad on Sunday.

HYDERABAD : The recent expose of some senior MPs accepting bribe for raising questions in Parliament has come as a shock for young and first-time MPs.

Talking to The Hindu , the young parliamentarians, a well-educated lot who spent their time abroad handling various responsibilities in major companies, said they were caught unawares by the incident as "we had only heard rumours about such things, but did not know their magnitude."

Describing the events during a sting operation as `very saddening', they lamented that such incidents would further bring down the already-dented image of politicians in the country, the young MPs, who are here attending the AICC plenary, said.

They are, however, appreciative about the swift action initiated by the House after the submission of the Pavan Kumar Bansal committee report.

"Questions are already raised about the credibility of politicians and such incidents will only increase the public disbelief on those in politics," says Sandeep Dikshit, MP and son of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

`Breach of trust'

Another MP, Jyotiraditya Scindia, said the MPs who were caught accepting bribe had not only violated the oath they had taken while entering the House, but also breached the trust reposed in them by millions outside. "This is very saddening and such incidents should not recur," he said.

Moreover, the MPs are upset over the way veteran Parliamentarian like L.K. Advani tried to defend the guilty by pleading the House not to expel them.

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